1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for removing excessive adhesives from ferrules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical fibers are connected to ferrules by applying adhesives to ferrules and inserting optical cables into the ferrules. In general, the adhesives are in the form of aqueous solutions, and as the optical cables advance, the adhesives flow over the ferrules forming bodies of excessive adhesives.
If left uncleaned, the excessive adhesives become hard providing an ugly appearance. In addition, some of the excessive adhesives fall on the floor making it dirty. Thus, the excessive adhesives have been manually wiped out with cloth.
However, such manual wiping operation has the following disadvantages: (1) It not only takes much time but also varies with the workers, causing many instances of insufficient removal of the adhesives. (2) The adhesives adhere to the hands and/or other locations, presenting a hygienic problem. (3) The wiping operation can spread the excessive adhesives to even other areas of the optical cables. (4) The wiping operation can accidentally move the optical cables from the right insertion position within the ferrules.